The Necessity of Responsibility
Good morning Dr. Chen, Mr. Stewart, Mrs. Wade, Dr. Meredith, faculty and staff, parents, friends, and classmates. Welcome to the Graduation Ceremony for the Christian Central Academy Class of 2019.
Today is a gift. It was not guaranteed. However, through hard work, perseverance, all-nighters, and sometimes just praying for a good grade, we have reached this day, our graduation. This, like every other day, has come with a price, and we are the ones responsible for it. It is our day, and we must take ownership of how we use it.
We have recently honored the 75th Anniversary of D-Day; the start of the Allied liberation of Europe from the Nazis during the Second World War. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, an American General, was responsible for planning the complex and risky operation. When he gave the order to execute the plan the day before the operation, he signed a letter talking about the invasion if it failed.
It read, “Our landings in the Cherbourg- Le Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
Eisenhower was a man prepared to bear the burden for a cataclysmic failure. He knew the risk, owned it, and it paid off because the invasion was a success, and Nazi Germany was defeated within a year.
There are two ways to live life as characterized by psychologist Jordan Peterson: The first way is characterized by an avoidance of responsibility. The drawback is that nothing in life will matter without that responsibility. The second way is characterized by taking responsibility in life. Taking responsibility for externalities in our lives like our family and job, but also internal failures, like not being everything we could be. The drawback being everything matters. It can roughly be characterized as having a goal in life of happiness compared to having a goal of purpose. Happiness being defined as leisure; something that you feel in the moment. Someone can take responsibility in their lives and still be happy, but this is called joy. We are called to live by taking responsibility. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells us, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.”
The first step of taking responsibility is admitting that we are not everything we are called to be. This is a defeating confession, but there is also great hope in knowing that we can improve; that God can work in us if we are willing to work on ourselves. In Civilization and its Discontents, Sigmund Freud wrote, “Most people don’t really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.
As Americans, we are obligated to respect the fundamental, God-given rights of others, as embodied in our Constitution. The first chapter of Genesis reads, “God created man in His own image.” Man is created with the unique ability to reason, create, struggle and grow, and to love. These fundamental elements of a common humanity we all share are what elevates us closer to God, as well as what bonds us closer to each other. The fundamental American ideal is that a limited government entrusts its citizenry with responsibility. Responsibility that is not granted by the government, but protected by it. Every day, it is our responsibility to use our freedom wisely. We should all thank God every day that we have the privilege of calling America home.
As Christians, it is said that God “will make straight our path.” This verse does not say God will make your path easy. Straight is defined as linear and direct. God will make our path clear; we will know what to do. It is up to us to do it. Often it is the simplest things in life that are the hardest to do: getting up early, taking care of yourself and others, doing your homework the day it’s assigned, telling someone, “I love you.” These tasks are relatively simple and we all know how to do them, yet everyone dreads and fails to do them. As Navy Seal Jocko Willink says, “Simple, not easy.”
In high school, our responsibilities as adults have grown. Freshman year we all had our own schedules to keep. Sophomore year many of us began driving. Junior year we started searching for jobs. And this year, we’ve had to decide how we are going to live the rest of our lives. As my sister, Emily, said in her valedictorian speech three years ago at this very podium, “Teachers play such a huge role in preparing us for our futures. Thank you to Dr. Chen, teachers, coaches and staff here at CCA for guiding us, teaching us, building our character, minds, hearts and souls. Know that you have made a difference in each of our lives. Thank you to our parents, brothers, sisters, and grandparents for sacrificing, encouraging, teaching, coaching, supporting, and loving us. And thank you to my classmates for sticking together, and becoming a family.”
When we were Freshman, everyone was learning what school service was, and we quaked in fear when we first heard Mr. Ashby’s booming voice at sporting events. We won homecoming by making a military chant, Tom the Driver became a thing, and the boy’s soccer team won in penalty kicks under the lights.
As Sophomores, we began to make more friends, strengthening our class bond. Jabari left and I had to clean out his locker, but then he came back three months later. Blaise dressed up as Elsa, and then moved to Arizona without telling anyone.
Last year as Juniors, there was a lot of violence. Tyler’s ankle was savagely broken. Tommy tackled Jabari into the gravel, and then denied it. Ricky tackled Tina in the wooden gym because he was trying to run away from Jabari. We all wanted to be Seniors.
Finally, we became Seniors, and we were given privileges of upperclassmen.We could eat in the wooden gym. Mr. Napoli cooked breakfast and brought in doughnuts for class on multiple occasions. We took a trip to the Dominican Republic. During that week, I got to know many of you, my classmates, very well. Some of you, too well. One of us jumped into a pool when it was closed and almost got shot by the guard. When we came back, it was a time to periodically go back to school, and start looking towards the future.
As you go about your lives, through college and towards a career and family remember these four precepts:
1. Stand up straight with your shoulders back. This communicates that you respect yourself, that others should respect you, and that you are willing to respect others.
2. Treat yourself like someone who you are responsible for helping. If you’re not willing to do what’s necessary to help yourself, why should others help you?
3. Read. Charlie Jones said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”
4. Stick to the facts. “Facts don’t care about your feelings” (Ben Shapiro), so make sure you are the master of your emotions and they are not the master of you.
As we leave CCA for the last time as Seniors today, we go out into the world as adults. We are going to have to make decisions for ourselves now. We can embrace this responsibility, or we can avoid it. We can take it in stride, or we can stumble and fall. The 12th Century poet, Dante, wrote, “Heaven wheels above you, displaying to you her eternal glories, and still your eyes are on the ground.” Keep your eyes where you want to be, not where you are.
As the famed World War II General George Patton said and embodied, “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.”
Walt Whitman in his famous poem, “O Me! O Life!” explains purpose and responsibility: “Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring, Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish, Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?) The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here—that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” What will your verse be?
Good morning Dr. Chen, Mr. Stewart, Mrs. Wade, Dr. Meredith, faculty and staff, parents, friends, and classmates. Welcome to the Graduation Ceremony for the Christian Central Academy Class of 2019.
Today is a gift. It was not guaranteed. However, through hard work, perseverance, all-nighters, and sometimes just praying for a good grade, we have reached this day, our graduation. This, like every other day, has come with a price, and we are the ones responsible for it. It is our day, and we must take ownership of how we use it.
We have recently honored the 75th Anniversary of D-Day; the start of the Allied liberation of Europe from the Nazis during the Second World War. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, an American General, was responsible for planning the complex and risky operation. When he gave the order to execute the plan the day before the operation, he signed a letter talking about the invasion if it failed.
It read, “Our landings in the Cherbourg- Le Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
Eisenhower was a man prepared to bear the burden for a cataclysmic failure. He knew the risk, owned it, and it paid off because the invasion was a success, and Nazi Germany was defeated within a year.
There are two ways to live life as characterized by psychologist Jordan Peterson: The first way is characterized by an avoidance of responsibility. The drawback is that nothing in life will matter without that responsibility. The second way is characterized by taking responsibility in life. Taking responsibility for externalities in our lives like our family and job, but also internal failures, like not being everything we could be. The drawback being everything matters. It can roughly be characterized as having a goal in life of happiness compared to having a goal of purpose. Happiness being defined as leisure; something that you feel in the moment. Someone can take responsibility in their lives and still be happy, but this is called joy. We are called to live by taking responsibility. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells us, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.”
The first step of taking responsibility is admitting that we are not everything we are called to be. This is a defeating confession, but there is also great hope in knowing that we can improve; that God can work in us if we are willing to work on ourselves. In Civilization and its Discontents, Sigmund Freud wrote, “Most people don’t really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.
As Americans, we are obligated to respect the fundamental, God-given rights of others, as embodied in our Constitution. The first chapter of Genesis reads, “God created man in His own image.” Man is created with the unique ability to reason, create, struggle and grow, and to love. These fundamental elements of a common humanity we all share are what elevates us closer to God, as well as what bonds us closer to each other. The fundamental American ideal is that a limited government entrusts its citizenry with responsibility. Responsibility that is not granted by the government, but protected by it. Every day, it is our responsibility to use our freedom wisely. We should all thank God every day that we have the privilege of calling America home.
As Christians, it is said that God “will make straight our path.” This verse does not say God will make your path easy. Straight is defined as linear and direct. God will make our path clear; we will know what to do. It is up to us to do it. Often it is the simplest things in life that are the hardest to do: getting up early, taking care of yourself and others, doing your homework the day it’s assigned, telling someone, “I love you.” These tasks are relatively simple and we all know how to do them, yet everyone dreads and fails to do them. As Navy Seal Jocko Willink says, “Simple, not easy.”
In high school, our responsibilities as adults have grown. Freshman year we all had our own schedules to keep. Sophomore year many of us began driving. Junior year we started searching for jobs. And this year, we’ve had to decide how we are going to live the rest of our lives. As my sister, Emily, said in her valedictorian speech three years ago at this very podium, “Teachers play such a huge role in preparing us for our futures. Thank you to Dr. Chen, teachers, coaches and staff here at CCA for guiding us, teaching us, building our character, minds, hearts and souls. Know that you have made a difference in each of our lives. Thank you to our parents, brothers, sisters, and grandparents for sacrificing, encouraging, teaching, coaching, supporting, and loving us. And thank you to my classmates for sticking together, and becoming a family.”
When we were Freshman, everyone was learning what school service was, and we quaked in fear when we first heard Mr. Ashby’s booming voice at sporting events. We won homecoming by making a military chant, Tom the Driver became a thing, and the boy’s soccer team won in penalty kicks under the lights.
As Sophomores, we began to make more friends, strengthening our class bond. Jabari left and I had to clean out his locker, but then he came back three months later. Blaise dressed up as Elsa, and then moved to Arizona without telling anyone.
Last year as Juniors, there was a lot of violence. Tyler’s ankle was savagely broken. Tommy tackled Jabari into the gravel, and then denied it. Ricky tackled Tina in the wooden gym because he was trying to run away from Jabari. We all wanted to be Seniors.
Finally, we became Seniors, and we were given privileges of upperclassmen.We could eat in the wooden gym. Mr. Napoli cooked breakfast and brought in doughnuts for class on multiple occasions. We took a trip to the Dominican Republic. During that week, I got to know many of you, my classmates, very well. Some of you, too well. One of us jumped into a pool when it was closed and almost got shot by the guard. When we came back, it was a time to periodically go back to school, and start looking towards the future.
As you go about your lives, through college and towards a career and family remember these four precepts:
1. Stand up straight with your shoulders back. This communicates that you respect yourself, that others should respect you, and that you are willing to respect others.
2. Treat yourself like someone who you are responsible for helping. If you’re not willing to do what’s necessary to help yourself, why should others help you?
3. Read. Charlie Jones said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”
4. Stick to the facts. “Facts don’t care about your feelings” (Ben Shapiro), so make sure you are the master of your emotions and they are not the master of you.
As we leave CCA for the last time as Seniors today, we go out into the world as adults. We are going to have to make decisions for ourselves now. We can embrace this responsibility, or we can avoid it. We can take it in stride, or we can stumble and fall. The 12th Century poet, Dante, wrote, “Heaven wheels above you, displaying to you her eternal glories, and still your eyes are on the ground.” Keep your eyes where you want to be, not where you are.
As the famed World War II General George Patton said and embodied, “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.”
Walt Whitman in his famous poem, “O Me! O Life!” explains purpose and responsibility: “Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring, Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish, Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?) The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer. That you are here—that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” What will your verse be?
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